Building log



Oct. 10, 1950 A. w. EDSON ETAL 2,525,659

BUILDING LOG Filed Oct. 12, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO .5 11!!! WE man By Karll zbielkin g WWW Oct. 10, 1950 A. w. EDSON ETAL BUILDING LOG Filed Oct. 12, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 10,, 1950 BUILDING LOG Arthur W. Edson, Delta, 0010., and Karl F. Thielking, Santa Fe, N. Mex., assignors to Building-Logs, Incorporated, Santa Fe, N. Mex., a corporation of New Mexico Application October 12, 1948, Serial No. 54,016

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and improved building logs and to improved walls constructed from such logs.

Logs have been used for construction of walls and buildings for centuries. The logs were customarily cut and notched with hand tools and a tremendous amount of manual labor was involved. Walls constructed from these logs were not weather-tight and it was necessary to chink the crevices between logs. The chinking composition detracted considerably from the appearance of the wall or building and was frequently a cause of annoyance due to its tendency to become dislodged with the result that wind or moisture could penetrate the wall.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide new and improved building logs which overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and which can be used in the construction of walls which are attractive and which require no chinking after construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide building logs which can be pre-formed at a central mill, distributed and assembled into walls or buildings in a short time with a minimum of labor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a building log with a dap extending longitudinally along its lower surface and. cooperating with the crown of the adjacent lower log to provide a weather tight joint between logs without the necessity for chinking after construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a building log having an arcuate dap extending longitudinally along its lower surface, the radius of curvatureof the dap being less than the radius of curvature of the log so that when the dap is positioned to overlie the crown of a similar log there is provided between the logs a space of lunate form in cross section. Caulking compound is placed within this space and, since the space is concealed from both sides of the wall by the lips of the clap, the caulking compound is trapped against escape and is invisible.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a building log having a gain extending longitudinally of the crown of the log which serves to relieve circumferential stresses in the log and to eliminate or curtail the formation of checks or cracks in the side portions of the log which are exposed when the log is assembled in a wall. The dap extending longitudinally along the lower surface of the log also serves to reduce circumferential stresses in the log and the combined effects of the gain and dap virtually eliminate tion will be referred to in the following detailed description which has reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a plurality of the improved logs in assembled relationship;

Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating two logs about to be assembled;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1; V

Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the structure illustrated in Figures 1 and 3;

Figure 5 is an end elevation view of the structure shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken in the direc-' tion of the arrows along the line B--B of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged end elevation view of a plurality of mating logs.

The logs may be assembled on any suitable foundation 8. The foundation should be uni-- formly and entirely level. A half log which is: designated by the reference numeral 9 is used. as a sill log. The other sill log Ill may have a. fiat lower surface or it may be constructed asshown in Figure 1 in all respects similar to the other logs in the structure. As shown sill log: ID is provided along itslower surface with an. arcuate dap II and the space between the upper surface of the foundation 8 and the curved sur-- face of the dap is filled with any suitable caulking composition l2. The log 10 is notched at [3 to fit over the sill log 9. The logs I4, I5, l6 and I1 are similar to the log [0.

The relationship of the logs in a wall is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure '7. The log I8 is provided along its lower surface with an arcuate dap l9 while the log 20 is provided with a similar arcuate dap 2|. The radius of curvature of daps l9 and 2| is substantially less than the radius of the logs in which they are formed. By way of example only, it may be pointed out that if the radius of the logs l8 and 20 is three inches, the radius of curvature of the daps I9 and 2| should not exceed 2 inches and may be 2 inches or smaller. The difference in radius of the logs and the daps provides spaces of lunate cross-section as will be clearly apparent from an inspection of Figure 7. These spaces are filled with suitable caulking composition as designated by the reference numeral 12.

The distance from the crown of each log to the lips of the daps must be carefully controlled and must be maintained constant in all of the logs going into a particular wall or structure. The distancefrom the crown of the log I8 to the level of the lips 22 and 23 of the dap I9 is designated in Figure 7 by the reference character X. If it be assumed that the diameter of the log I8 is six inches, the distance X will prefercaulking composition ably be 5 inches. The distance Y from the crest of dap iii to the level of the lips 24 and 25 will preferably be, under the circumstances assumed, approximately inch. It will thus be seen that although the log E8 has a maximum diameter of six inches, the height of the wall will be increased by only five inches by the presence of that log in the wall.

The manner in which the logs are notched is most clearly shown in Figure 2. The lower surface of the log 26 is provided with a notch 2! and the lower surface of the log 28 is provided with a similar notch 2Q. If the logs 26 and 2B are assumed to have a diameter of six inches, the notches 2i and 29 should preferably have a depth of three inches measured from the level of the lips of the daps.

The assumed dimensions which have been recited above are those which are preferred but they are given by way of illustration and are not to be considered as limitations. The same general relationship of the various dimensions may .be employed when logs of other diameters are used.

t frequently happens that logs are of il'lSllfilcient length to extend the entire length of a wall and it is then necessary to splice two or more logs in the wall. Figures 3, e and 6 illustrate two types of joints or splices which are suitable. The joint which is designated generally by the refer ence numeral 30 is formed by placing the ends of the logs ii and Si in end-to-end abutting relationship and drilling a hole 32 in such manner that approximately half the hole is formed in each of the logs H and 33. The hole extends a short distance into the upper surface of the log l5. A pin 33 is coated with caulking compound 3:3 and inserted in the hole in the manner most clearly illustrated in Figure 6. The caulked pin 33 effectively prevents wind and moisture from passing between the ends of the logs ii and ti and assists in preventing relative lateral displacement of the ends of those logs.

The joint which is designated generally by the reference numeral 35 is a lap splice. The log it is cut longitudinally as indicated at 36 and transversely as indicated at 33'. The log is cut in a complementary manner as will be clearly apparent from Figure 4 and the logs are positioned in the manner indicated in that figure. Caulking composition may be applied between the abutting surfaces of the logs iii and if desired. Such composition is indicated in the drawing by the reference numeral. 39. it will be appreciated that the lap splice may be positioned at 90 to the position shown in Figure 4 in which event the longitudinal cut 36 will be in a vertical plane and be concealed from View.

Each log may be provided with a narrow gain 48 which extends longitudinally along its crown. The gains do which may be from to T einch in width and from about /4 to 1 inch deep serve to reduce circumferential stresses in the logs and to thus eliminate or reduce the formation of checks or cracks in the exposed side surfaces of the logs. The daps in the lower surfaces of the logs cooperate with the gains ii! in accomplishing this important objective. Cracks may appear in the logs below the gains as and above the crest of the daps. Such cracks are designated in Figure '7 by the reference numerals ii and d2, respectively. However, it will be seen that the cracks ll and 42 are concealed from view and are not exposed to the weather. The E2 effectively prevents i moisture from gaining access to these cracks.

The logs may be assembled without drift pins or other fastening means. Th notches and the daps effectively prevent relative rotation or lateral displacement of the logs. Ihe caulking composition i2 is most effectively applied by the use of a caulking gun to deposit a thick ribbon of the composition on the crown of each leg before the adj ace-nt upper log is put in place. Some of the caulking composition may find its way intothe gains til but this is a matter of no importance and it is unnecessary to take precautions to prevent it.

The novel features of the logs and the absence of drift pins permit an assembled structure to settle as a unit as a result of any shrinkage of the logs. Any cracks such as th crack i2 which extend upwardly from the crests of the daps may permit slight spreading of the lips of the daps but this will result in greater compression on the caulking composition with the result that the joints between logs become more weather tight.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the invention provides building logs and walls assembled from such logs which attain all of the objects of the invention and possess all of the advantages which have been set forth above. The logs are accurately milled at a central location. The accurate milling permits the logs to be assembled with a minimum of labor. In many instances it is possible to pro-form the logs according to architects plans and specifications for a particular structure and in such instances the labor of assembly is reduced to an absolute minimum. The logs may be impregnated or otherwise treated with any suitable preservative to increase their useful life.

The foregoing detailed description is to be considered as exemplary only. Various modifications and alterations may be resorted to Without departing from the broader scope of the inventioned as defined by the following claims:

We claim:

1. A building log having a uniform cross section throughout substantially its entire length and having a convex crown portion having a substantially constant radius of curvature and a base portion provided with an upwardly concave arcuate dap, the surface of the logdenning such dap being continuously concave from lip to lip of the clap and having a constant radius of curvature substantially less than the radius of curvature of the crown portion of the log to enable the base portion of the log to rest on the crown portion of a similar log with only the lips of the clap engaging such similar log to provide a space of lunate cross section between such logs.

2. A building log as defined in claim 1 having a gain extending longitudinally of the log at the crest of the crown portion thereof.

ARTHUR W. EDSON. KARL F. THIELKING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date H.122 Norway Mar. 23, 1925 68,058 Norway July 10, 194i GTHER REFERENCES American Builder, February 1933, page 33 

